World Schooling, ed-venturing, life learning, whatever you call it, this is not as un-common as you think. Driven by a desire to start a new journey in life focusing on reconnecting as a family, reducing stress in their life, working on their health, fitness and well-being, living life without the distraction of material things and really appreciating the simple things and more than ever wanting a taste of new experiences and new adventures… The Hansen Family are now a Travelling Family and have left the “rat race” for the simple life in a caravan travelling our big beautiful Country.
Melanie Hansen, an Adelaide Mumma of two kids – Tyra aged 10 and Jax aged 8, Wifey to Dan, founder of her own Boutique Holistic Health Practice – ‘A practical down to Earth approach for Mothers to lose weight, get fit, eat better and stress less’ and Co-Creator of Holistically Living an online lifestyle program where stressed out working women can connect with one another and feel supported with an easy to follow ‘lifestyle program’ has had a busy start to 2018 and that is probably an understatement…
Selling their home, moving out, packing away their physical businesses and home schooling their kids as they gear up to travel indefinitely!
Kids in Adelaide are fascinated by Mel and her family’s story and are keen to know more. Classrooms have been swapped for Outside Learning, Uber Eats for Camp Fires, Morning Traffic for Australian Beach Sunrises…..this is the new life for the Hansen Family of Adelaide!
Did you have an a’ha moment when you decided on having this new lifestyle? And who had the idea?
It really had been something we had wanted to do for the past 10 or so years, but the busyness of life, work and a young family just kept preventing us from being able to make the change. One day we pretty much just looked at each other and decided the time was either now or never, so we decided to make the change. It was definitely a mutual decision thankfully as we were able to keep reminding each other that it was what we both wanted when things got hard or we started to let doubt creep in.
What did the kids think?
The kids were pretty excited when we first told them! As time went on and the reality of it all sunk in (especially when the house went on the market) it did become a little daunting for them, but we just kept focusing on the positives. Of course they were always pretty excited about the thought of homeschooling!!
Do you have a journey mapped out or are you winging it?
We are totally winging it! We’ve travelled Australia a lot as a family in the past, some trips being 10-12 weeks long, so we know where we do and do not want to go, but we really are just going with the flow.
Best part about not being in the real world?
Not always being on a tight time schedule, no peak hour traffic, no morning or after school rush and no stress!! It really is the first time in our lives we have felt this relaxed.
Living in a smaller space… you must miss some go to items as comfort ? Anything you secretly miss from your Kitchen or Bedroom that you had to leave behind?
Not at all to be honest. We packed very lightly for this trip, on a quest to keep things as simple as possible. It really is amazing how little you need and how easily you can just ‘make do’ when you don’t have all the luxuries of home.
What do the kids love about being on the road?
Exploring so many new places and experiencing new adventures! They have also been really loving meeting so many new kids (there are so many families living on the road these days) and making new friends everywhere we go.
Did you make a deal breaker along the way if someone is not enjoying it – does the plan gets relooked?
Yeah for sure. Although I cannot see it happening because we are all loving it so much, but if someone is unhappy we will make any necessary changes. Sometimes just a change of scenery is all thats needed.
How long is this adventure planned for and do you stay a while at each place?
We really have no time frame at this stage, so we’ll just see how things work out! It really depends where we are but some places are only for a night or two and others we stay for a few weeks.
Are you the home schooler or how does that part work ?
Yes that’s mostly me! My hubby and I do both school the kids together when we can though, Its a team effort.
Do you miss anything yet?
My beautiful 12 year old golden labrador Billy. He’s having a little holiday at my parents house while we travel. Unfortunately we just couldn’t bring him with us. He is being very spoilt and we talk to him on Facetime often!!
Biggest highlight so far?
There really have been so many already, but a few of our favourites have been through The Kimberley region in Western Australia. Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Chasm in Purnululu National Park and also Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge are incredible. The kids also absolutely loved the beautiful walk up El Questro Gorge. There are so many amazing places in Australia really!
Do you have a plan for cabin fever from time to time?
We spend so much of our time outdoors that the caravan really is only for sleeping. Prior to this trip we would travel with swags or a camper trailer so the caravan is a luxury for us.
When you return to normality how do you want this to have re-shaped you and your family?
At the moment I hope we don’t ever have to return to ‘normality’ because really what does that even mean? But I guess i just hope that we don’t get caught up in the ‘rat race’ ever again.
Health and Nutrition are clearly important to you … how are you doing this on the road when your routine is different week to week?
Its hugely important to our whole family and is a big focus most days for us. I usually get up early as the sun rises and either go for a run, do a workout or practice yoga. When we can we go on bush walks and treks as a family and often our morning workout involves our whole family! We ride our bikes around whenever we can, we eat a diet that consists of mostly whole foods and we drink lots of water!! I am sleeping better than i ever have and my stress levels are lower than ever before. It’s hard to have a set routine, but just like so much of this experience we just go with the flow and make things work.
You can find out more about Melanie, her travels and her healthy lifestyle programs here:
Instagram: @melanie_hansen_ @holisticallyliving
Facebook: @melaniehansenholistichealth @holisticallyliving
Website: www.melaniehansen.com.au www.holisticallyliving.com.au
You might also be interested in
-
Tour Down Under - a fun family event! Australia’s greatest cycling is returning once again to South Australia from January 12 - 21at the Santos Tour Down Under 2024. This is one of our favourite South Oz events, and it can be loads of fun for kids too. Cycling enthusiasts, locals and visitors alike will watch as elite cyclists travel through some of the state’s most scenic backdrops during the action-packed nine-day event. Kicking off on Friday 12 January with some of the biggest names in world cycling descending on Adelaide, the stages are set and like always, this festival is going to be massive. Family Day is on the 13th and this is the perfect opportunity for kids to learn new skills, meet the champions and of course, go for a ride! Even if you don’t get to see one of the races or events, a simple walk or drive through Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga is exciting for kids with so much going on. At the 'Kid Zone', you can write a letter to a pro with the Singapore Airlines Peloton Post or grab a paint brush and help to finish a mural painting. There's also a 'Follow the Ochre Trail' show…
-
When it comes to packing lunchboxes for kids, there's a lot of pressure to ensure the food is 'nude', raw, organic and homemade. If you're like a lot of parents, this can be tricky. Things like work, other children, illness or even access to these kinds of foods can all play a role in what types of food your children receive in their lunchboxes each day. Rather than stressing about all the different rules, maybe it's best to keep it simple? Here are some tips from Fleur, who is a primary school teacher.....she knows! Keep it colourful- add carrots, capsicum, cucumber and cheese. As long as there's lots of naturally colourful foods then you're on the right track! Get the kids involved in making their own snacks on the weekend. These could be muesli bars, muffins, fruit & coconut balls, yoghurt dipped fruit or try Julie's delicious homemade roll ups! Getting the kids involved will not only keep them interested in what they eat, but it also helps them learn about how foods are made, what types of foods are healthy and provides them with a sense of ownership over what they're putting in their lunchbox. Another great part of…
-
At a quick glance, you might think that West Beach Patisserie & Eatery is only for guests staying at the Big4 in West Beach Parks, but we are here to tell you that it is OPEN to the public, 7 days a week and your family are going to love some of the best coffee, food and hospitality going around! Legitimately, every thing this talented family touch in the hospitality space, turns to gold. Trust us, we have been following these legends around for a good few years now. You are going to feel like you are a resort guest far far away (minus the exorbitant resort prices) as you sit amongst the potted palms, greenery and white umbrellas, sipping a brunch champagne and devouring your eggs benedict. The car park and venue entrance are very simply accessed from Military Road - no need to actually enter the park at all! The small on site playground will keep young kids occupied while they wait for their food, and when it does come, sitting out doors is just the best this time of year and with kids in tow. Something about more space around you and less venue noise plus the…
